Book of the Week: Walt Disney’s Disneyland by Chris Nichols

A pastel-coloured delight, this book charts the creation and expansion of Disneyland in Anaheim, California, which opened in 1955. Chris Nichols shows how it was very much a product of its time, of the sundrenched optimism of 1950s America.

It’s a delicious piece of Americana, packed with images – of plans and models and costume designs, of the first characters and the first visitors, looking at each of the original park’s sections, Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland and Main Street. Also covered are Disney’s inspirations, from English model villages to miniature trains to whimsical California architecture and amusement parks.

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The final parts of the book trace the park’s expansion, from the 1960s to the most recent announcement – of the new Star Wars planet, the largest expansion in the history of the park, due to due to open in 2019. It captures the joy and wonder Disneyland brings to children and adults alike, as much today as it did when it first opened.